#and hopefully mara going back to hen and karen

[makorragal-312]

Personally, I don't think Chris is gonna come back home in 8x03. But, I DO think that it's gonna be the episode where he finally reaches out to Eddie. Or at the very least starts answering his phone calls or messages.

[nqueso-emergency]

Hmmmmmm.....i kind of like the idea of some some story threads are tied up in the mid-season finale. Hopefully Brad and Hotshots I still feel no Tommy until 8b. What are your thoughts about Tim's remark of (im paraphrasing): not really a cliffhanger but a character may be hanging from a cliff. 🫣😉

Okay, so I had a thought earlier, and your ask made me remember it again, so I'm about to be a bit tinhatty and I'm sorry because it doesn't really relate to your ask but it also kind of does?

So, we know season 7 was a short season due to the strikes. We had 10 episodes, typically we get 18, and Tim did mention he wished he had a few more episodes to do everything he wanted

I think, besides hotshots, Brad and Athena, every story we've had wrapped up so far or will see wrapped up in episode 8, are all extensions of what Tim wanted in season 7. It would make sense why we're stopping at episode 8 before hiatus. 10+8 being 18 and all of that.

It seems that Gerrard and Ortiz's story got watered down, along with Henrens regarding Mara, which is why I believe they hit Denny with a car, shock value and an emotional scene for Hen and Karen.

Tim said he had considered the Abby situation to be in season 7, so, that came out of fucking nowhere to add angst and pining to Buck (I believe we were supposed to see that at the end of season 7 when Chris left just to hit harder but Tim didn't have enough time) it's why the bucktommy relationship length feels off. They should have discussed their pasts by the 6th month anniversary imo.

Then there's Eddie's storyline. The biggest letdown, honestly. We've been waiting for Eddie to let Shannon go and be his own person without a partner, and due to this theory, they quite literally utilized the 'let go and let God.' We've only seen Christopher ONCE, and I fear that in episode 8, Eddie will mention that Christopher is coming home for the holidays, and when 8b comes around he will be moved back to California and everything is fine.

Maddie and Chim are pregnant... a typical storyline after a wedding.

Tbf to Tim, he had to clean up in the beginning of season 7 from the shit show season 6 left us with. So, he had to work with what he got minus 8 episodes.

To answer your actual question, idk what Tim could mean by that. Could be an actual cliff. Could be a metaphorical cliff. Could be a dude named Cliff.

Who tf knows.

But I do think 8b will feel more like a real season and not just a wrap up.

[redvelvetcupcakes21]

Santa Monica is cool and stuff, but have you ever gone to the beaches in Ventura? Zen AF.

Here's some beach fluff.

Buck and Tommy were all too thrilled to be up at 7 am on their day off.

Only because they had plans for today.

Amazing and, hopefully, fun plans.

"You guys are amazing to agree to watch them." Hen told them sincerely as she and Maddie watched as Mara and Jee excitedly hugged Tommy and Buck.

"Yeah, we can't thank you enough." Maddie added, hands over her heart as she watched Tommy pick up Jee.

"Thank us for watching our favorite nieces? Please. " Tommy playfully scoffed. "This has been the one thing we've been looking forward to all week." Tommy admitted, patting Jees back in comfort as the little girl rested her head onto Tommy's shoulder.

Buck looked at his sister who was trying to not coo at the sight. He was fighting the same issue, watching his neice and his boyfriend snuggle was making his heart skip beats.

"Tommy's right," Buck added, smiling softly at Jee and Mara, who was holding onto Buck's arm and dozing off since it was still so early for them both. "We’ve been excited to babysit the girls, we've got everything we need." He pointed towards his sister, "including snacks!"

Both women rolled their eyes at him, but Buck shrugged it off. "What about Denny? He really didn't want to come?"

Hen gave them an apologetic smile, "As much as he actually did want to come along, his school is taking part in a robotics competition and Denny wanted to go since apparently robot fighting is rumored to be expected." Hen explained, rolling her eyes at Buck's excited look.

"Robot fighting versus beach day. Totally get it." He joked.

"Karen and Chim should be able to get the girls by tomorrow morning, that still works?"

Tommy gave them a thumbs up, while Buck nodded with an excited grin. "Works perfectly."

Maddie and Hen gave both men a "Thank you" before kissing both girls goodbye, reminding them to be nice to their uncles before leaving.

"Okay!" Buck clapped his hands together excited, "Who's up for some strawberry Frenchtoast before we hit the road?"

"Me!"

"Meeeeeee!"Jee popping right awake had Tommy laughing as he followed Buck and Mara into the kitchen.

After breakfast, the four of them got into Buck's jeep and started the drive up north.

Fortunately, driving up from Tommy's house is easier since they avoided all the traffic coming into LA.

The first spot was a small beach by Harbor Village, Tommy and Buck were able to set up a spot close to the water with Mara and Jee's help.

(Jee, ever the little helper, got upset that she couldn't carry the beach chairs to show she was just as strong as her uncle Buck and uncle Tommy)

Buck helped Mara get her swim cap on as Tommy laid out a blanket and got the toys they had bought for the girls specifically. Both men were also adamant about sun block for both girls, spraying a liberal amount on both their nieces (and themselves).

Both men took turns sitting on the beach and watching over their things as they took the girls out into the water. With Buck getting each girl to paddle board with him and Tommy showing them how to surf. Both girls ended up playing in the water for a long while, squealing happily as the water splashed around them. They made sand castles, played around with a volley ball, and took lot of pictures to send to Karen, Hen, Chimney, and Maddie.

Before long it was nearing one and all of the snacks were gone. "Who's up for some burgers?" Tommy asked the crew as he and Buck helped the girls into some shorts and hoodies. They had managed to get their stuff back into the jeep (and collected half of the beaches sand too).

"Me!" "Me, I'm really hungry!"

Buck picked up Jee and pointed towards the small gathering of restaurants that were walking distance. "Theres a old school burger shop that has milkshakes." He told them in a sing a long voice. "Does that work?"

Mara nodded excitedly at that, "Yes! Can I have a strawberry milkshake?" She asked politely.

Tommy felt his heart lurch out, he had seen how comfortable Mara was getting with not only the team but with them specifically. She had taken a while to open up to Buck and himself, understandably, but now? He would refuse to admit to anyone but Buck about how it almost had him tearing up at how Mara felt safe and comfortable with them now.

"Of course you can, Mara." He told her gently, holding out his hand for her to take, leading them towards the restaurant.

After lunch they headed over to main street, letting the girls burn their energy off as they walked down the street and into shops that interested them.

(Did Tommy and Buck buy each girl a new coloring set, stickers, and their own individual ukulele? Yep!)

They drove further up till they made it to Santa Barbara. The girls loved the water, again asking both men to take them paddle boarding and surfing.

Buck felt more relaxed as ever as he watched Tommy play with the girls, laughing as the girls tried to tackle Tommy into the water.

Buck felt his heart skip a beat again, he rubbed his chest. He could feel his eyes sting as he thought about Tommy and him having kids, giving Mara, Denny, Jee, and Christopher a few new cousins to play with.

He hadn’t spoken to Tommy much about them having kids, but he knew Tommy wanted kids. He knew how much Tommy adored all the kids from the 118 and his own nephew and niece (Buck had met Theo, age 3, and Harley, age 6 via zoom and saw how much they meant to Tommy).

It was something they both wanted, Buck was only a little bit doubtful about it being something that Tommy wanted with him.

After enjoying tacos for dinner, the group made their way to the ice cream parlor, Buck knowing how crowded the town got crowded in the evening opted to hold a table in the courtyard for them. He took Jee with him and left Mara and Tommy to order their ice cream.

Ten minutes later, a very smiley Mara and a red faced Tommy came towards them, each carrying a cup of ice-cream in their hands.

"Hey uncle Buck, guess what!"

"What?" Buck quickly gave Jees ice-cream to her since his little niece was making grabby hands towards the dessert and looking annoyed.

"The cashier at the ice-cream shop thought you and uncle Tommy were my dads. It was cute, they told uncle Tommy that we're a cute family."

That explained Tommy's red face.

"That was sweet of them." Buck smiled, he looked up at Tommy again, giving his boyfriend a hopeful smile as the four sat to eat their dessert.

By the time they got back to Tommy's place, it was late and both girls were passed out asleep.

"You think about one day doing this with our own kids?" Tommy asked, almost hesitantly as he carried a sleepy Mara while Buck carried Jee into the house.

Buck was sure this time that his heart melted at that, he took a moment to catch his voice. "Every day." He answered softly.

Morning came way too fast for everyone in the house, Tommy and Buck were still dealing with two very tired girls.

"I can drink a little coffee, can't I uncle Tommy?" Mara asked, eyeing the steaming cup that Buck had placed for Tommy and himself.

"Nooo." Tommy stressed, moving the cup away from Mara. "You get some non caffeine drinks, I've got juice, milk, chocolate milk, or I can make you smoothie."

Mara pouted at that but answered "Smoothie please."

"You too Jee?"

Jee shook her head no, "I want juice please!"

They were in the middle of eating when the doorbell rang, "I know who that is." Tommy got up, "Take your time eating, I'm sure Chim and Karen could use some breakfast."

"Is that why we cooked enough to feed an army?" Buck joked. He smiled at the two girls before noticing their downtrodden expressions. "You two okay? What's up?"

"Do we have to go?" Mara asked, "Can't we stay one more day?"

"Pleeeease!" Jee added, "I want to have more fun."

Buck pressed his lips together momentarily, one to keep from smiling so hard and two, to keep from crying at how much his nieces adored them.

"You guys are always welcome here, yknow that." He reminded them, "What if I talk to your parents about having an uncles' day once a week? That way you guys can spend some time with us?"

Jee clapper her hands together and Mara nodded, all smiles as Chim and Karen came into the kitchen.

"Hey mom, uncle Buck said we could do a uncles day every week!" Mara said excitedly, running up to Karen and the Chimney for a hug hello.

"Did he now?" Karen looked almost smug at that, she knew how much of a softie Buck was. "I think that's a wonderful idea, right Chim?"

Chim picked up Jee, tickling her side, "Hey, if Buck and Tommy are up for it, you won't find me complaining."

After breakfast, Tommy and Buck hugged the girls goodbye while grappling with Karen and Chim bemoaning for buying them a jeep full of toys and books ("You try telling Mara and Jee no after they tell you that you're their favorite uncle!" Tommy complained after receiving the glare from Chim when he saw the ukulele).

The house became all too quiet too quickly. Tommy took Buck's hand and led him toward the living room, pulling the man onto the couch for cuddles.

"So, still want kids then?" Buck asked, rubbing his hand up and down Tommy's arm.

"With you? Of course I do."

Buck felt himself melt into Tommy's hold finally, content and safe about their future.

"I do have a question for you though, a pretty important one." Tommy admitted after a beat of silence.

He sounded serious and anxious enough for Buck to sit up and turn to look at him.

"O-okay." Buck stammered, his nerves fraying as he watched Tommy carefully for any signs of what the queation could entail. "What's the question?"

Tommy let out a happy and content sigh, taking a hold of Buck's hands, and then got down on one knee...

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1 REACTION

These are my confessions, just when I thought that I was starting to fall in love, my boyfriend unceremoniously decided to dump me.

After a week off and a presidential election that felt like a season of American Horror Story, we finally got a new episode of the gay firefighter show. Unfortunately I was spoiled by the episode's ending courtesy of Tumblr but nothing could've ever prepared me for how infuriating things would get. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning. This reaction is for the season 8, sixth episode "Confessions" which originally aired November 7th, 2024. The episode was written by Andrew Meyers and directed by Life Goes On and Pretty Little Liars actor, Chad Lowe! Spoilers ahead!

Best plot?

This week's episode focuses on a handful of our main characters. We finally get some time with Eddie and we get a bonkers storyline involving Buck and Tommy. However, it is Maddie and Chimney's plot that is my favorite. A few episodes ago, Hen and Karen regained custody of Mara which means Jee-Yun is back to being an only child. Maddie laments that Jee-Yun is having trouble adjusting to a life where Mara isn't her big sister anymore even though the two see quite a bit of each other. She suggests having a second child but Chimney has some trepidation about having another kid.  During an emergency involving a little kid getting stuck in a drain pipe a la "Eddie Begins", Chimney consoles his older brother who blames himself for his little brother wandering off and winding up in a dangerous situation. The little boy (played by Tiberius Byrd) volunteers himself to be lowered down in the pipe so he can pull his absolutely adorable baby brother out of the drain. Afterwards, Chimney warms to the idea of having a little brother or sister for Jee-Yun.

In their final scene, Chimney and Maddie have a raw and open conversation regarding their concerns about having another child. Chimney tearfully tells Maddie that if she is ever feeling sad or overwhelmed, she needs to come to him. She doesn't get to leave or try to figure it out on her own. He asks for total and complete transparency. Wow! I think we sometimes forget that while Maddie is a trauma magnet, Chimney has been right there since the beginning experiencing those tragedies with her. He went through the Doug situation with her. He spent six months raising Jee-Yun on his own while looking for Maddie. For him, having another child could send Maddie back down that same dark path again.

Now Maddie has some conditions of her own. She tells Chimney that they can't go into her pregnancy acting like she's broken. Oh, and yes you read that correctly. Maddie is pregnant! Yay!!! This is the best thing to come out of the episode and it makes me excited for this couple. Hopefully this time around, things will be much better for them.

Best emergency sequence?

We got three emergency sequences this episode but the best by far is the one involving veteran actor Jonathan Silverman. The Weekend at Bernie's and more recently Goosebumps actor plays a man named Walter Schaffer who is in the middle of a nasty divorce. His soon-to-be ex-wife, Liza Schaffer (played by Silverman's real-life wife Jennifer Finnigan) points out that Walter sneezes when he's lying and Walter has been sneezing a LOT! As things reach a boiling point between the two, Walter lets out one last sneeze which causes his stomach to split open and his guts to fall out. I really wish I could've taken a picture of my mom when this happened, She hasn't been this horrified by a 9-1-1 show since Owen Strand decided to perform CPR on a man frozen solid by his cryotherapy chamber. 

This whole scene is mostly played for laughs even though Walter has been eviscerated. After last episode's gut-wrenching accident involving Denny Wilson, it was nice to have a low stakes emergency. Also, it was good to see Jonathan Silverman. I love when they bring veteran actors in to have them perform these small roles. It's one of the reasons I like Ryan Murphy shows so much. He always pays homage to the legends. Oh, and Walter is okay. Even though he spilled his guts, he's still a creep! You made the right decision, Liza!

Episode MVP?

This was a tough one. None of our main characters did anything particularly outstanding this week. This episode is giving filler but I still enjoyed it. However, since I do need to pick someone to be this week's MVP, I'm going to choose everyone's favorite dispatcher - Josh Russo. Josh mostly serves as comic relief in this series but I thought what he had to say to Buck was particularly noteworthy. As someone who is part of the pre-Glee world. I relate so hard to what people like Josh and Tommy have gone through as gay men. I graduated in the early-2000s and even though life was much improved for LGBTQ+ people than let's say the 70s, 80s, and 90s, I still didn't feel comfortable coming out until my late-20's. Buck's coming out was so simple and much of that is due in part to the queer people that came before him. I'm sure someone like Josh had a difficult time prior to coming out and Tommy went as far as getting into a serious relationship with a woman before he finally made the decision to come out. Had the end of this episode gone a lot differently, I think Josh's monologue would be even better. I also love that he called Buck in instead of calling him out. I wish we got more scenes with Josh and Buck because as of right now they are the only two queer male characters on the show. 

 BuckTommy Corner

I've been dreading writing this part of the reaction mostly because it might be the last BuckTommy Corner we ever get. A lot of fellow shippers online seem to think that we may see Buck and Tommy reunite but the ending of this episode has me convinced that we aren't getting the BuckTommy endgame many of you have been asking for since the two first touched lips. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself again.

After last episode's stellar development of Buck and Tommy's relationship, this episode's writer decided to burn it all down. Our first scene between Buck and Tommy finds them back where it all began. It's their six-month anniversary and Tommy has gotten Buck basketball tickets. Things seem to be going swimmingly between the two of them until some hot blonde comes over and asks Buck to take a picture of her and her friends. Buck seems very awkward by the situation but Tommy assures him it's okay for him to find other women attractive. Whew! Crisis averted! I was so sure this was going to be the conflict of the episode.

Then we get Tommy admitting to Buck that he is a Kinsey scale six which means he's g-g-gay ... even though once upon a time he was engaged to a 9-1-1 dispatcher with the most amazing hair. Yes, folks, Tommy Kinard was engaged to Abby Clark. Tommy mentions that after he ended things, Abby went on to date a himbo. Buck is completely shooketh by this revelation and goes to his sister for advice. This is where we get the fantastic monologue from Josh. Buck decides to come clean to Tommy and figures that this changes nothing about their relationship.

Tommy apologizes for calling Buck a himbo and the latter asks Tommy to move in with him. Then everything goes to absolute shit. Tommy spouts some bullshit about being Buck's first (male) relationship but he will not be his last. Tommy says he doesn't want to get his heart broken again and then throws up the deuces to a very confused Buck. I'm sorry, y'all! What in the absolute hell just happened! I don't know who that man was. I know he looked like Lou Ferrigno Jr. playing Tommy Kinard but it's like some alien took over Tommy's body during this scene. This is not the same man we have gotten to know over the few seasons. Yes, Tommy did have some reservations about getting into a relationship with Buck so soon after his coming out but they squashed all of that way back in 7x05. Since then, these two have been building something amazing only to have it blown up so unceremoniously at the end of this episode.

Now, as I mentioned prior, the ending to this episode was spoiled. After learning about the breakup, I immediately went to the BuckTommy Reddit and learned that others were as similarly confused as I was. To make matters worse, it appears that Lou Ferrigno Jr, is as equally flummoxed by the decision to end things as the viewers, which is not a good look for the show. Why give us all that development in "Masks" only for Tommy to exit stage left. Thankfully, Lou announced that he will be returning to S.W.A.T. so I'm comforted that I will get to see him again in a skin-tight black T-shirt. One thing I will say about Lou is the man stays working. Check out his IMDb. He may not be the series lead but he stays working and he will continue to work because he seems to be an extremely competent and professional actor. 

The end of this episode left a bad taste in my mouth and I'm not just saying that because of the BuckTommy breakup. I've somewhat suspected that things have not been good with this show for a very long time but as long as I got scenes with Buck and Tommy, I was willing to keep going. This show is in its eighth season and we keep putting these characters through the same paces. Eddie's still trying to figure out how to be a good dad to Christopher seven seasons later. Maybe the show is getting a bit stale? I dunno. This episode just felt less fun for some reason. Perhaps I need to watch it again.

With that said, I will continue to watch 9-1-1 because I do love the characters on this show and the actors that play them. Oh, and by the way, please do not give Lou or Oliver any hate for simply playing what was written for them. Also, a lot of you are upset with Oliver and calling him biphobic. Now, do I think he said some problematic things in the last interview he did? Yes. Do I think he needs to be nailed to the cross for it? Absolutely not! I think we as viewers and members of the LGBTQ+ community need to take a page out of the Book of Josh and start calling people in instead of calling people out. We are very reactionary people and I totally get it. Being part of a marginalized group (or two, or three) especially here in America is rough and we find ways to protect ourselves to prevent harm from being inflicted on us. With that said, I believe it is quite possible to take an ally to task without potentially alienating them. As an elder, millennial gay, I think that's something we can all get better at! Until next time ...

[canonicallyobserving911]

9-1-1 Episode 8x4 Review

It's been a few days since I watched the episode but I took some time to gather my thoughts about it because I wanted to provide a fair and balanced assessment. I rewatched it more than once but truthfully, it's been a long time since I've done that with any 9-1-1 episodes because I haven't been impressed for a while, especially after seasons 5, 6 and 7. The last episode that I rewatched more than once was 6x13 "Mixed Feelings" and that was because Buddie and the Buckley-Diaz Family were heavily focused.

However, since that time, episodes have been lackluster at best, the pacing, timing and continuity were off and they didn't feel like the old 9-1-1 of seasons 2, 3 and the first half of 4. Whole seasons could have been yeeted to the sun and I wouldn't miss them one bit but most of episode 8x4 was surprisingly good and I appreciate them for trying to find their footing and returning to their roots. There were a sufficient amount of emergency calls and the personal storylines were nicely intertwined. Since I didn't see KR's name in the opening credits like it was in episodes 8x1 - 8x3, it appears she's gone and she took her horrible pacing, bad timing, retconned characters, the redeeming of underserving $hitty parents (Margaret and Phillip Buckley, Helena Diaz and Sang Han) and her ability to let important character development happen off-screen with her (looking at several missing scenes from seasons 5 and 6). Hooray!

Before I get into this, I have to mention my favorite parts of the entire episode were... everything that included EDDIE DIAZ!

Eddie's my favorite character and after 7 seasons, he's FINALLY being given the individual screentime he deserves. His storyline covered everything that makes Eddie spectacular including his time in the Army, his combat medic skills, the fact that he's smart, talented and sexy as hell. Furthermore and most importantly, he's a great dad! He loves Chris and he'll sacrifice anything for him including his own happiness. Also, he encouraged people the way he always has. I'm so happy and excited that his storyline IS NOT attached to his deceased wife or her doppelgänger! After the way season 7 ended, hopefully, it's been dealt with and his character won't be regressed to relive it yet again.

RG is an excellent actor and he's finally getting the attention he deserves!

Now back to the regularly scheduled program!

Even though I enjoyed most of the episode, it wasn't all sunbeams and moon pies. Therefore, I'll start with the things I didn't like first and continue with the things I did.

Dislikes

The Gerrard redemption was ridiculous 🙄 and IMO, it shouldn't have ended that way. His character was completely changed from the racist and bigoted captain that Chimney and Hen endured during their begins episodes and was made into a hard nose captain who got an undeserved redemption arc. Do people change? Yes, they do and can but it's difficult to connect how they got there when it isn't shown or addressed in CANON. Viewers shouldn't have to do mental gymnastics to figure out what happened to them and it appears whatever happened to Vincent Gerrard is a direct result of lazy writing. They could have easily brought in a different captain if they weren't going to address his past and especially if they weren't going to let Hen and Chimney remind him of it so he could explain that he was different but I digress. (I have an idea that involves why the character received an attitude transplant and his demeanor was changed but I'll include it in a different post.)

Overall, the way the Mara storyline was handled wasn't the best and I don't like how Madney's storyline was connected to Henren's. I get it, they became foster parents at the end of season 7 to help but something about the way Maddie and Chimney never had an on-screen conversation with Hen and Karen before they did it doesn't make any sense. This has partly to do with the fact that in 6x5, Maddie and Chimney hired Magda as Jee's nanny but after Maddie let her go, Chimney said they were back to the friends and family plan for babysitting. Well, the Lees were already helping them with that so whenever Maddie and Chimney were at work at the same time (like they were throughout the first 4 episodes), who was assisting them with Mara's care. I know this is a TV show but there should be some logic and reality based in it. Finally, I didn't like how there was supposed to be tension between Madney and Henren but it appears that storyline was ixnayed or it was changed and I'm glad.

Madney not having a storyline of their own since their wedding in 7x6 is not cool and I really don't appreciate it (also, it focused entirely too much on Doug instead of the bride and the groom). Let's be real, at this point, if all they're going to do is write them in a way that just allows them to support the other main characters then... WTF are the writers doing because they should have their own storylines just like everyone else. It seems like they don't know how to write them now that they're married and that's just ridiculous because there are lots of storylines they could have.

Metro Dispatch is heavily focusing on Maddie and I've posted about it before but things there are completely unbalanced when they didn't used to be. Now they have Maddie as the center of attention with Josh standing behind her or across from her but where is everyone else in dispatch? I'm not talking about the background characters; I'm talking about Linda Bates and Sue Blevins. IIRC, neither of them have been included in any episodes thus far in season 8. Dispatch was a lot more balanced with them included so it would be nice if Maddie's allowed to interact with someone other than Josh.

Bathena's at home arc was interesting and it's unclear what exactly the writers are trying to show with it. For starters, they've had communication issues since they began dating back in season 2 but after 7 seasons, they should be past this stage by now. Their whole cruise ship arc demonstrated how they needed to learn how to talk again but for some reason, Athena didn't consider Bobby's feelings about the old house and Michael before she contacted him. Even when they were viewing the new home, it appeared they weren't properly communicating. It just doesn't make any sense and even though it's a TV show and it's all about the drama, there should be some realism. Additionally, the way they're being portrayed makes it seem like the only time they talk is when they're about to lose each other forever, i.e. Bobby getting shot in season 4, Athena needing Bobby's help after Jeffrey kidnapped Harry in season 5, Athena catching Junior in Florida in season 6, the cruise ship in season 7 and the airplane landing in season 8.

Henren needs a break from their children being traumatized. They just got Mara back and now Denny's going to be hit by a car on Halloween and I have no words. Can the show please give them some good storylines for once? Even though Karen's not a main (she should be after 8 seasons), she's a rocket scientist and they should find a way to incorporate her job into the show the same way they did Michael's. He's an architect but that didn't stop them from having Bobby call him in 2x15 to get the blueprints for the bank.

Likes

Ortiz is finally gone and that's all I'll say about the character and hopefully, she'll never return.

T.K. 2.0 wasn't in the episode. 🥳🍾🥂 Hopefully, Buck will dump him in 8x5 and it'll be his last.

The emergencies were good. I really liked the one with the tiger even though it was horrible CGI. TM posted the tiger is real but clearly, everyone watching could tell the tiger wasn't in the actual apartment with Patty, Buck and Hen.

Brad Torrence's comment about everyone else on "Hotshots" thinking it's an ensemble cast was funny.

The overall message about them being a found family again HAS BEEN LACKING FOR A LONG TIME but 8x4 appears to have brought it back.

The ending montage was great (except the Gerrard part) but I'll do a separate post about it to share more thoughts.

Chimney doing the rope rescue and being competent with that dart gun was fantastic and he looked sexy as hell doing it. I love it when they give Chimney a good storyline that demonstrates his skills and hopefully, it'll remain this way. He's an excellent paramedic and his experience should be highlighted more.

Eddie was so great in this episode (see above) and seeing him go out of his way to help another father because of his own experiences with both his dad and his son was excellent to see. As mentioned earlier, Eddie gives good advice to other people, he always has but now it seems like he's applying it to himself and he might be finally getting ready to move on from his past.

The Buddie moments were THERE like they have been since TM (showrunner) returned and it was great to see Buck and Eddie being setup for the start of Buddie CANON. I've done a lot of character analyses and posts about Buddie so IMO, the way they were portrayed in this episode is leading to one thing and one thing only, CANON BUDDIE!

The pacing and timing elements were great and if they keep it up, future episodes will continue to feel like the original 9-1-1.

All and all, it was a good episode and it was one of the best that they've done in a long time. There's still more work to do but hopefully, it'll include some professional development for the mains. I've been posting about this since season 6 but for some reason, TM is focused solely on their personal lives but that's not realistic because people apply for job promotions all the time. The day will come when Bobby has to retire for good so he should be training his replacement and Athena should be doing the same. Hen and Chimney should be moving forward on the paramedic side since they've been with the department for more than 13 years. Maddie should be a senior dispatcher by now but she isn't and it doesn't make any sense. Eddie should be a certified paramedic and Buck should be training for his next role too.

Hopefully, 8x5 will include more good emergency calls because currently, I don't want to see Denny get hurt. #TheWilsonsDeserveBetter

[gigigazelleloves]

Ok now that I've had time to process the first episode and read some post-episode 1 articles, I have some theories about where the storyline is going for each character in season 8a.

Athena

I have a strong feeling that we're going to have a lot of Athena focus this season. I think it's going to contrast the heavy Bobby focus we got last season. I feel like this trial is going to not be just for the 3-parter premier but instead for the entire part of season 8a. We also have the great B plot of Bathena house hunting and seeing in this first episode how they have different tastes, I have a feeling we'll have some lighthearted moments for Bathena this whole season.

Bobby

Bobby is totally going to return as Gerrard might have kicked the bucket or gotten permanently injured. But I also have a feeling we will be seeing more of the "hotshots" actors appearing at Bathena's doorstep because Bobby can't help but adopt strays. I feel like Bobby is also going to feel some guilt about the whole fiasco that happened last season such as leaving the firehouse and also dealing with his house burning down as I feel like those things have still not been emotionally resolved. Overall though hoping that Bobby has a more lighthearted season.

Chim (and Maddie)

I know that everyone is manifesting that Chim and Maddie are going to decide to have another child but I have a feeling that Chim and Maddie might be forced to adopt Mara as I feel like something wonky is going to happen with Henren's trial. However I have a feeling they are not going to be a main focus until season 8b.

Hen (and Karen)

Basically the same thing I said for Chim and Maddie and that this who Mara and Councilwoman Ortiz. I also feel like that storyline will also transfer over into season 8b.

Buck (and Tommy)

Buck and Tommy is where I feel like we'll see the main plot come in for season 8a. From interviews Oliver has stated that Tommy and Buck are in the honeymoon of their new found relationship. But Oliver has stated that there are some uncomfortable truths they're going to have to face. I think from what he said it could be one of three things (realistically). 1. Tommy's racist past, as Chim is Buck's brother-in-law and Buck is going to maybe struggle to wrap his head around Tommy's past actions 2. It's going to be related to Tommy's father who if is anything like Gerrard is going to cause some havoc in the relationship directly or indirectly. I also think there could be a lot of insecurity with Buck feeling like Tommy is hiding things from him in the relationship which has happened before in his past relationships. 3. I think that Buck will have panic that he's doing something wrong and do a full Buck and avoid Tommy until he talks to someone about it (hopefully someone who is apart of the community like Hen or Josh). I feel like this could address the issue of maybe Buck feeling like he's late to the party when it comes to discovering his sexuality. I feel like it can also resolve the issue Buck has had when it comes to his relationship issues. I think overall this arc can show him becoming more comfortable and confident with his sexuality, solve his past relationship issues, and maybe establish him and Tommy as a solid couple.

Eddie (and Christopher)

All in going to say is I think Eddie is either going to find himself inside of a confession room or inside a therapy room. I hope they don't give him a new love interest as that would low key ruin his arc, I just want to see him become more secure with himself. I have my doubts though about him getting Chris back before the end of season 8a, but there is a slim chance it could happen. I just need him to figure himself out before he gets his kid back. I hope we see more Chris though in season 9, cause I doubt we will this season.

Overall I'm excited for all these arcs but honestly I'll be happy if there's just more Bathena 😝

[lyricfulloflight]

I am super nervous for the next season of 911. Like I don’t dislike Tommy but I also don’t like super love him either and I. Am. Nervous.

I agree with you about Tommy - I'm relatively neutral about him as a character.

I also don't tend to be someone who makes predictions much at all - I'd rather just be surprised.

I will say though, the fact that there has been little said about Tommy and little promotion of the Buck x Tommy pairing (it has been mentioned, but not as much as Buck and Eddie's friendship/relationship), makes me lean toward the belief that Buck x Tommy is likely short term.

But, as a Buddie shipper I am also aware that I could just be seeing what I'd really like to see in the promotional material we've had so far... shrugs.

I am excited about a lot of other things for this season though!

Seeing how the 118 manages with Gerrard (don't want him around for long, but interested to see how this affects all the characters and how they, hopefully, lean on each other to cope)

I want to see calls again! And the 118 working as a team during emergencies.

I want to see silly chatter in the fire engine and family meals!

I want ridiculous calls, and weird calls, and humorous calls!

They've been open about Eddie going on journey to discover himself, who he is without Chris, just as 'Eddie,' and I am so here for that!

I want some sweet moments between Hen and Karen and Chim and Maddie as the navigate the situation with Mara

I am honestly kind of thrilled with the whole 'bee-nado' situation because it is so implausible that it makes me giggle, but the fall out has so much potential for drama and action

Bobby as a technical advisor on 'Hot Shots' has so much comedy potential and I cannot wait to see it

That's a lot to be excited about I think!

One of the things I love about 911, is that yes, it brought me Buddie and I love them and I hope we are fortunate enough to get to watch them become canon. And that could possible happen this season.

But I don't love the show just because of Buddie.

I love all of the 118.

I love Chim and his devotion to Maddie and the power of their story, a story about finding a new love, building a better, stronger relationship with someone you truly love and trust and you loves and trusts and respect you back.

I love Hen and Karen and the endless pool of love they have for Denny, Mara and all the foster children who have come into their lives over the seasons. Those ladies have so much smarts between them they just knocked me over with it sometimes.

I love Bobby and his journey of redemption. The difficult path he has been walking to feel he actually deserves happiness in his life. I adore how he and Athena fell in love, and yet their past loves have never been dismissed, ignored or demeaned for their current love story.

(I will also miss the Bobby and Michael shenanigans -both the healthiest and yet most chaotic relationship between the 'new' husband and the ex-husband I have ever had the pleasure to witness).

Even though I don't always agree with Athena's choices, I would want her on my side, fighting beside be because that woman is fierce and she does not back down from a fight.

I love Eddie and his giant heart that he is always simultaneously giving freely to everyone and yet hiding away at every turn. As a fellow parent, I admire his amazing parenting skills and his trust and respect he has built with Christopher. If they aren't able to build back that trust in their relationship this season it will truly break my heart.

I left Buck for last, because he is my favourite. He has such a big heart and hardly any sense of self worth and all of that is wrapped up in this infectious energy that I simply cannot resist. I cannot wait to hear more Buck facts, his childlike energy about topics he's passionate about make me smile so much. I want the world for that man. (I also really enjoy him battered and bruised and covered in blood, but that says more about me that about Buck...)

In conclusion, I love 911!

Yes, I watch partly for Buddie, but I love the show as a whole. And I think we have a lot to look forward to, especially with a full season that, hopefully, won't feel rushed.

[soliloquy-please]

Spoilers!! for 8×01 my thoughts! Might be slightly out of order because my brain hurts.

0). "Don't jump" ..."Why not" had me rolling!!

1). Buck is so relatable in presenting an idea he thinks works as a group plan! Subtle appearance of clipboard/anxious over planner Buck. (Very me maladaptive daydreaming then presenting it as an option to my real life self like it's logical)

2). Also Eddie, Hen, and Chim are all making the right decision for them but it's a painful not to mention dangerous situation.

3).Weird as fuck they are asking Athena to do this :/ (suspension of disbelief activate)

3). Maddie and Hen hugging!!! My childhood crush and my current celebrity crush are touching nobody move!!!

4). The Chim and Mara scene reminds me of reading them with my Dad I bet he does all the voices! Omg poor Hen and Karen you're not losing her, just using your village for support! (I fucking hope or otherwise me and chimney will be having words but also what is best for Mara???? :'''))

5). THE FUCKING LEAN IN BUCK DID WHEN TOMMY SAID "YOUR A VISION IN A CONE" FERAL

6). Also Tommy's (or Lou? lol) little slip and curse I want to eat him!

7). Why the fuck is Eddie's Mom suddenly not being insane the switch up is good but I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.

8). Eddie and Chris scene had me feeling physically ill! (Gavin has become such a skilled actor)

9). Me battling hating cops with the fact that Athena looks so hot throwing that man in the trunk 😐😳

10). Hmn! I think Buck is showing off some leadership ability here with the planning don't you think! The planning and initiative! Also going to Gerrard with his ideas because he knows they are good ones despite the ridicule he is at risk of receiving!

11). Immediately the theater kid in me knew the look British hotshots guy was wearing, but he had me cackling at the "I'm gonna study your every move"

12).The buzzing out while Gerrard was talking so relatable!

13). Also I can't believe Buck saved Gerrard even though it was mostly instinct it seems! Though if he didn't I think it could have hit him too. Goes through them both horror movies style.

14). I think Chim was a little annoyed that he saved him? Hahahaha (like we missed the chance damn)

15). Buck interim Captain??? Or Bobby Back hopefully!!!

16). Agh! I think they are so close to landing that Tommy might not get to help land the plane (airport 1975 style @mannafromtevan theory) I still hold out hope that someone parachutes into the plane because objectively it's hilarious and cool. Also I'm overly attached to the theory!

[inawickedlittletown]

The episode was good up until suddenly we started rushing through things.

Like as nice as it is to know we have Bobby back at the 118 and Mara is home with the Wilsons and that Ortiz had to even drop out of the race for mayor, it was just resolved way too quickly for something that we've had hanging over us since last season.

This is a storyline that should have lapsed a few episodes. Like yes give us the devastation Hen and Karen feel at the judge telling them no contact with Mara...have Gerrard and Bobby meet and Gerrard confront Ortiz but then leave it there so that we can sit on wondering if he's going to go with this plan to get rid of the 118.

Leave us hanging on no one knowing that Ortiz has a plan and that Gerrard may or may not be helping her...and then have them find out about Ortiz' plan for the budget cuts next episode or the one after and then have Gerrard's body cam footage be shown and have it get resolved.

And this would also just give more room for other storylines to shine and traverse several episodes.

It just seems like they're breaking the episodes down to isolate whatever story they want to tell within that episode without it carrying over so we can move on to other things whereas things would flow better if they balanced things out more.

Either way, that just means that when we do get to the episodes more focused on Buck (and Tommy) that they'll be hopefully focused on them in a similar way and as such give us plenty of screentime.

[buddiewho]

LONG POST!!

I have mixed feelings about 8x01. Not entirely sure what's up with the Christopher storyline?? Okay, so yes, I understand Christopher wanting to run miles away from the situation, I really do. I also understand Eddie's attempts to keep a relationship with his son even if Christopher does not want to build it back up at this time. You know what I mean?

There is something oddly suspicous about the pool thing with Helena…I know that slowly but surely Eddie helped Christopher get back to the beach and near the water. In the water?? I don't know it's got me raising my eyebrows.

Then in the interim, thinking about Eddie kind of sort of "third wheeling" Buck and Tommy. For example, the three of them are probably spending a lot of time together because somehow I do not believe Buck is going to leave Eddie alone for a long amount of time, unless specifically asked to do so. Then of course, I do think it's almost like "sharing" Eddie. Haha. Buck spends time with him. Then Eddie probably still goes to fights with Tommy. So they're all being friends and sharing time with each other??

Where they've asked Bobby to go is kind of odd. This whole meta show within a show thing, well, I've experienced that before (*coughs* SPN). It is an interesting turn of events for 911, if I say so myself, yet maybe it makes sense because LA/Hollywood?? Athena always kicks ass in everything she does. Putting that guy in the trunk…hilarious. On a different note, her amount of strength it takes to even agree to this prisoner transfer...

I do hope Hen and Karen find ways to screw over the politician lady that is screwing them over. Thankfully, we know Mara is in a safe place and still with the entire 118 fam, you know? However, I will say like someone else mentioned here, why the Harry Potter thing? Could've been a million other things? I don't know…an interest in dinosaurs so Mara and Chim run around making weird dino sounds? Yet this is something easily dismissed, when you pull back for the big picture of where season 8 is headed…

Personally, I did love the episode in the way that it showcases Buck. Sure, there have been times Buck has shown insolence and Bobby almost fired him for it. The problem is, Buck is not a disgrace to the uniform. The uniform is frankly, all he knows, and this job is something he is very capable of (which is sometimes not said DIRECTLY to Buck enough).

What I mean to say, Gerrard is insulting who he thinks is an insolent, independent thinking, rule breaker, but Buck has made strides in that regard. Is he sometimes himbo brained, well, yes, of course, but is he also sometimes armed and ready with INSANE facts of niche interest/thing, well, why yes of course he is. Sometimes that knowledge is best put to use; however, Gerrard's power trips are something else.

Hopefully, he comes to seeing an error of his ways kind of thing, or as I postulate- loses his memory? He has no idea who anyone is at the 118 and is barely capable of remembering who he is. Something other than, how it was with Chim and Tommy. Chim saved Tommy's life and so then Tommy understood the error of his ways. I do not want Gerrard there at all you know? I want him to somehow just forget everything long term and then have to navigate life somewhere else. Then the Fire Chief will make Hen or Chim Captain if they will not bring Bobby back. Bringing Bobby back is going to take the whole damn season by the way since they just started this actor shadowing him thing in their meta world.

This post may now take a SHIPPING turn. Fair warning:

Aside from the episode as a whole, I do wonder about Buck and Tommy. Ngl, I slightly agree with a comment I saw about Tommy disregarding things Buck is saying or how he is feeling, but on the one hand I also see how it'd be difficult to assess what exactly Buck wants when he is at the party complaining about Gerrard.

Does Buck just want Tommy to listen? Does Buck want words of endearment? Looks as if he only got a, "That sounds like Gerrard." And honestly, Tommy is probably going to be a straightforward type of man, which will maybe come off as cold. My thing is, in this situation, I'd have no idea what to say, besides listening to my partner rant about someone at their work who I also happened to know and do not want to interact with anymore, because around that person, I was a different person; someone I did not want to be. Would I (as Tommy might) feel bad that my now partner has to experience all that is wrong with Gerrard? Yes, I (he might)would be. But as the script went, all Tommy had to say was something brief, because really, what else is there to say? Now, if Buck had been for some reason mentally broken down to a sobbing fit of some sort then that'd call for some physical reach out from Tommy, right? I do not know why I am over analyzing this interaction, but I do wonder if Tommy's closed off attitude in physicality (at times) and even verbally will become an issue. I do think a relationship can become emotionally one-sided if only one partner is expressing thoughts and feelings, while the other is just kind of meh. You know?

Which leads me to the highs and lows we've already experienced with Buck and Eddie being entirely vulnerable with one another by choice or forced by dangerous life and death situations. What I mean to say is that technically, as always we still see Eddie being emotionally available (something Eddie has actively worked to improve) and supportive towards Buck, you know? Still not entirely sure, Tommy will actually be fleshed out for much longer, because at the end of the day, Buck will need someone who is emotionally available and ready to communicate, plus, listen. This is something we know Eddie can do for Buck and vice versa.

OKay, I digress. If you read this post. Thank you. It's long. I have no idea what any of it means, but I do know that for me, some sort of spark has been reignited when it comes to Buddie.

PS: Anyone out there insulting Eddie Diaz's character in any way is a sack of potatoes. If that man simply ignored Christopher then I frankly, think it'd be worse. Trying even when Christopher is not trying or giving an inch is the best thing Eddie can be doing. If he simply gave up, that is when I'd question something. In this situation, a parent reaching out to their child is ABSOLUTELY needed. I think doing it via video chatting is actually best as well. Christopher moved himself miles away from being physically near his father, so Eddie packing up and GOING to Texas would have been the wrong move, if you ask me. Do I firmly believe Eddie is still doing the right thing? Hell yes I do.

Can the mustache go? Actually, yeah, that thing can disappear please. But hey, this shot does make for a good meme:

[ravi-is-my-beloved]

My 8x01 Summary & Thoughts

Okay, I just watched the premiere of season 8, so I'm going to try my best to get out all of my thoughts. (There are a few things I didn't bring up, this is just everything I thought was important and would tie into what happens in the next two episodes.)

(I tagged this as 911 spoilers, but I'm adding a warning now. Under the cut is SPOILERS)

First of all, the music decisions for the this episode? Amazing. Love the fact that they used songs about bees. It was whimsy, which I love.

Gerrard was as annoying as I thought he would be and I loved everyone's reactions to him. I was surprised Buck didn't punch him, but I'm not surprised that Buck saved him while also inadvertently hurting him in the process. I hope this will put Gerrard out of commission for the next episode, but I don't have much fate that they'd bring back Bobby for the plane crash emergency.

Speaking of Bobby, I'm very sad that he had like three scenes this entire episode. Hopefully, we get more of him in the second episode, because I was wondering where he was. I do love that the lead actor on Hotshots wants to emulate after Bobby, because I'm sure Bobby's just itching to get someone to listen to him about the inaccuracies of the show. I hope Bobby gets to come back to the 118 soon.

As everyone speculated, Athena was tasked with escorting her late fiancé's killer, Dennis Jenkins (that's the killer, if it wasn't clear). But it's not enough that the plane she was on crashing was in her immediate feature, someone's out to kill Jenkins. All I can say about this is, I hope they don't put her through too much trauma. She's been through so much already these past seven seasons.

I'm lumping these two together since the majority of what they had this episode was together, and these two are Hen and Chimney. Chimney is bonding with Mara over Harry Potter, which I personally love them bonding. I also love the fact that Dennis, Karen, and Hen seem to come over to the Han house a lot to spend dinner so they can see Mara. Hen and Karen have a foster lawyer, so hopefully that will help with getting their foster license and Mara back. Definitely seeing signs of there maybe being friction between Hen and Chim soon about Chim and Mara bonding.

Eddie was going through it in this episode. First he has a very awkward happy birthday FaceTime call with Chris where Chris so clearly is still not happy with Eddie and Eddie has to find out that Chris is enjoying his time away in Texas. And then Buck suggests they lather Eddie in perfume to help get a drowning vic who has a swarm of bees over her out of the pool. It was very serious, but I couldn't stop laughing at the sight of him running around to attract all of the bees to him so Hen and Chim could go save the drowning girl.

Buck was very much butting heads with Gerrard. Every idea he had to deal with the bees (and they were good ideas), had Gerrard mad at him and then Gerrard even stole credit of the smoke idea. He also kept getting latrine duty, too. In the end, though, he did save Gerrard from getting sliced apart by a saw breaking and the blade flying in Gerrard's direction. And then, as I said, he inadvertently injured Gerrard by pushing him down (again, to save ) and giving him a head injury.

All in all, while there were some things that left me wanting for more (which is not unusual, there was a lot going on this episode), I did enjoy this episode. And it did, in my opinion, set up the rest of the season as something that was exciting and something that I'm looking forward to watch. I can't wait to see what the rest of the season has in store for us.

[karenandhenwilson]

The whole foster care and foster parents situation in 9-1-1 keeps really challenging my suspension of disbelief. Especially if I start thinking about it in more detail in plans for some stories. I love the idea of Hen and Karen being foster parents and also adopting another child (or even a couple more children). I just wish it would be executed more carefully.

Let's start with Nia. She was clearly never intended to stay in foster care for long or get adopted by anyone. Everything we learn about that situation while she is reintroduced to her mother points at that. And while I don't know much about the US system here, there are just so many question marks about this.

If Nia was always supposed to eventually come back into her mother's custody, why wasn't there regular contact between them? It has to have been painful for Nia to be separated from her mother, who as far as we see is a very dedicated mother but was stuck in a horrible situation for a little while. And it had to be such hardship for her mother, too, to be completely separated from her daughter while she rebuild her life. Did she really believe she'd ever get her daughter back? Or was she fearing the whole time to never see Nia again until she was 18 and maybe not even then if Nia grew up to resent her without knowing the real circumstances? 

If Nia was never supposed to be adopted, why were Karen and Hen so convinced they would adopt her eventually? Where did the communication between Deidra or any other social workers and the Wilsons break down so much that there was such a miscommunication between them? Of course, Hen and Karen should not have been told any details about Nia's mother's life that weren't necessary for Nia's care, but it should have been made clear from the very beginning that Nia wasn't with them to stay. That her mother had every chance and intention to get back into a place where she could take care of her daughter again.

And of course, there is then Karen looking for Nia's mother. (And how did she even find her? After Deidra gave out the information about Mara's brother and his parents I kind of suspect she helped here, too. Which just brings up a lot of questions about Deidree and her suitability for the job she is doing.)

Then Karen and Hen prepared for months to adopt a baby. I don't fault the grandmother of that baby to change her mind after all. But I think it's a horrible decision of Deidra to come in and go "I'm sorry this adoption of the baby didn't happen. But I'll use your disappointment over it to push this horrible traumatized child at you and guilt trip you into fostering and hopefully adopting her all the while without telling you why exactly she is so traumatized to give you a chance to make it even worse instead of giving you the ability to help her."

That's how Mara showed up. She was tossed at foster parents without giving the foster parents even just the slightest bit of information about the trauma she was dealing with. I've seen the argument about Deidra protecting Mara's privacy with that, but I call bullshit to that. Hen and Karen were made responsible for Mara and her well-being. That includes her mental well-being. How can they help her to deal with the trauma of finding her parents dead and being separated from her half-brother if they don't know about any of it?

I agree that it's not right that Hen and Karen learned this information through Athena looking up Mara's parents. (Though, at least Mara's call to 9-1-1 would have been publically available anyway, right? Those calls are all made public in the US, as far as I know?) But they should have never needed to look up the information illegally because it should have been Deidra's duty to tell them at least the bare facts: Mara found her parents dead. Mara was separated from her half-brother because his father didn't want to take her. Because otherwise Hen and Karen had no chance from the very beginning to deal with either of those traumas.

Then there is Mara's blanket. We learn right at the beginning that the blanket is the only thing she has left of her old life. Why is that? I could understand that if there had been a fire. And in the beginning, I suspected exactly that: I thought a fire had killed Mara's family and when she was rescued, she held on to the blanket as it was the only thing that escaped the fire. But instead, we learn she found her parents dead and nothing was destroyed. Did the system really take everything else from this girl? Did they really not let her take anything else with her when she went into the system? That doesn't seem very humane or compassionate. (Or maybe I'm just not aware how truly horrible the system is in the US.)

Then, there is the whole situation of Mara being taken away from the Wilsons. That's a lot about corruption, of course. I mean, the adoption was nearly finalized as far as we learn. And suddenly Karen and Hen are declared unfit to be foster parents? Unfit to adopt? And seemingly no one took the time to look into it a little more closely? I honestly was also expecting Denny to be taken away from them in these circumstances. If they aren't fit to adopt another child, how are they fit enough to care for the child already in their care? Wouldn't it also have made sense for the Councilwoman to go all in here and do everything to have both children taken away from Hen?

At last, there is Maddie and Chimney becoming foster parents for emergency placement in less than 24 hours. Clearly without any kind of background check or anything else. When we saw with Hen and Karen how long it took for them, and how many hurdles they had to take. But it's canon now that somehow while one couple had to work for months to be granted this place, the other couple could just take it because from one moment to the next they wanted to. (Looking at both couples and comparing them brings up some horrible thoughts here, right? But I know for a fact the showwriters didn't consider that. They only considered how they could turn this situation they had created into something a little hopeful for the end of the season. I would not be surprised if s8 starts with Mara being taken away from Maddie and Chimney for the drama's sake.)

So, yeah. As much as I love to see more of the Wilson family, the drama the show writers create artificially for them is grating on my nerves the more often it happens. It also feels disingenuous for the representation Hen and Karen provide. There are so many other ways to bring storylines and drama into their family dynamic, and sometimes the writers were very successful in creating that: Hen's plans to change her career, the disappointment over the IVF not working for Karen, Toni showing up in LA unannounced and the conflict between her and Hen, the accident at Karen's work. We know nothing about Karen's family. I'd much prefer some drama with Hen's in-laws than this bullshit of a woman letting her grief lead her to ruin a little girl's life even more than it already is.

[bi-chimneyy]

tbh as much as I like Tommy and hope he's in future eps I'm not that worried that he likely isn't in 7 and 8 because they've got a lot going on anyways, Bobby's got a main storyline, hopefully Harry and Athena have stuff going on, Hen and Karen have Mara, Madney are married. like they've got a lot to work with so recurring characters will obviously end up on the back burner for a few eps. since s8 will likely be longer they'll probably get to play around more with longer term storylines.

[saras-almanac]

I actually loved that episode of 911! Everything felt right and completely earned and it’s setting up an amazing season 8. It’s all about consequences and I absolutely eat that up!

Eddie is going to have to deal with consequences of his actions and hopefully realize Chris isn’t a baby anymore and needs to have some agency, even if (especially if) it goes against what he wants. And this is really all down to Eddie’s own behavior and choices. I appreciate Buck’s talk with Chris at the end too, of not trying to press him but explaining that parents make mistakes because that’s something a lot of kids (all kids) have to go through.

Madney choosing to help Henren because they all love each other and Mara and want to give her access to her family while Henren fight to get her back. (Which I want to see them do immediately and I want to see Karen absolutely destroy that councilwoman for taking her daughter away, for potentially ruining a little girl’s life and chance at stability and happiness because of her vendetta against Hen)

Bobby and Amir, that ending scene was so fucking amazing. It was so good and well earned and the idea of I can respect you and what you’re doing but I don’t forgive you for what you did to me, took from me. Absolutely my favorite thing. I so want Amir to stick around and be a character because I love him, but like… away from Bobby and Athena? Could he maybe become friends with Maddie and Josh or Tommy or something? I don’t want him to leave yet.

Gerrard coming back—such an amazing set up for season 8 when almost everyone is focused on their own personal lives and how is this “shake up” going to affect things. Plus again the consequences of Bobby’s decision to quit… those choices have weight and it’ll be interesting to see that play out in the future. (Or maybe Bobby is gonna go to a different fire house for a bit? Or ride the desk? Who knows)

Buck and Tommy thriving and dating. Love that for my boy. He deserves someone who gets him and actively wants to be apart of his life. Plus I have to assume we’re going to get a lot of Tommy in season 8 just with Gerrard being there, Eddie being without Chris, and dating Buck…

The only thing I disliked was Athena hunting down Amir and holding a gun to him. Like I get it that she was clearly out of her mind with grief and fear and rage but it’s hard to root for a cop in general but even more so when they’re so blatantly abusing their power. But because it was two phenomenal actors acting off each other in a fictional tv show, I’m completely down for it!

[littlerosetrove]

This time I didn’t have to wait three days for ABC to release the episode to the service I use. I’m definitely shocked. Anyway! Here’s my initial Spoiler Thoughts for 8x4. 

No bullet points this time, too much to say.

Stating upfront, uhhhhh that was a lot? Like what’s the rush?? No but seriously, the plane crash should have been two episodes, as in 8x1 and 8x2, because the beenado, as cute as that was in some aspects, was not needed to lead up to the plane crash. And all the stories that were wrapped up in 8x4 should have been spread out a little more in 8x3 and 8x4 to give it some breathing room, honestly. This season has 18 episodes, so the balance of things already feels a bit wonky. 

Again, spending too much time for the plane crash overall, and then boom! Like several storylines were wrapped up so quickly! Don’t get me wrong, I am glad Gerrard is going to be gone now, since I was kinda expecting him to stick around potentially through most if not all of 8A. Oh, and before people get mad or confused, this was NOT a redemption or anything of the sort for Gerrard. His actions and choices were all to his selfish benefit. He was looking out for himself, and turning on Ortiz and helping the 118 was good for him because he then got to have a job he wanted. 

I will say I am a little disappointed that Gerrard’s time in season 8 just made him look like a hardass and a bit of a joke, rather than the massive bigot he is, but it’s what we got. I think he was literally only brought in to BE a hardass, and not to have any confrontation about him being a bigot. So.

While I’m certainly glad Mara is back, I would like to put it out there that, um. I really hope the writers find different issues for the Wilsons to face. Meaning, this is the second time that a child has been taken (and both have different resolutions) from Hen and Karen. So I’m hoping this type of story isn’t repeated again, and for that matter, can we not have Hen and Karen’s kids be in any danger for a while? Idk, let’s have the kids have typical growing pains, you know? Denny is almost a teenager, so what does that look like for Denny and the household?? Hell, as much as I disliked how Denny’s biological dad’s story was handled in season 6, where is he? 

Okay so we got some hints about Eddie and where things are going, but still not super clear. Obviously Eddie misses Chris, and it seems Chris is still barely talking to Eddie. So we know Eddie probably feels stuck on this front. What certainly needs to happen is for Eddie to confront some of his issues, which are many, because - and there hasn’t been time yet - there’s been no indication that Eddie has really even begun to work on himself. I think we all agree he needs therapy, but it remains to be seen if he’ll do that. Hopefully we’ll start to see some progress in the next couple episodes, some actual forward momentum for Eddie. 

Athena and Bobby are gonna build a new house? In LA on a firefighters and cops salary?? Hahahaha sure, okay. I’m sure the house will end up “wow how did they afford that” but we’ll just ignore it of course. Just like we ignore how Buck, on a firefighters salary, rents such a nice apartment, and so forth. *flaps hand* 

Huh, okay so Gerrard will not be the problem point for Tommy and Buck later, which I’m honestly happy about. I think it was in an interview where Oliver or Tim said there would be a roadbump of sorts for Tommy and Buck in 8A. Really curious to see what the roadbump will be about. 

I genuinely have no idea where the rest of the season is going to go. The character with the most possibilities, so to speak, is Eddie. Buck, kinda, because interviews are pointing towards Tommy and Buck relationship stuff, but we’ve no idea… about anything for them beyond that. Yeah. It’s all a bit of a mystery. 

I liked parts of this episode, but right now I think I’m feeling a little “it was fine” because, again, so many storylines were wrapped up so quickly. Mr. Minear sir, we have 18 episodes, we don’t need to rush things and cram in a ton of stuff like you did in season 7. Chill just a little?

Edit: oh and side note, the 118 was moving a little too slow in regards to a woman they knew was bleeding out. i was like "chop chop everyone! why are y'all casually walking and making jokes??" this show does this stuff a lot, but still. the lady was bleeding out!

[after-nine-at-the-oasis]

OHHH GOSH

Not good o.o

THERE'S A W H A T O.O

GOSH that hole 😭

SHE'S GONNA W H A T

Oh dang that's a lot of firefighters and fire trucks o.o

UHH OHHHH

Y'all ain't none of this good 😭

Aww Bobby worried about Athena 😭❤️

"Of course she is" SLFKFJDKHS EXACTLYY!!!

Girl she always doing everything xD want it done right I mean

OH GOSH

Ohhh gosh y'all 😭

This ain't good o.o

That's the last of my last thoughts, now it's time for the. . .

REVIEW

I loved this episode!! I thought it was great :D. I'm glad we at least got a scene or two with everyone - it was a good spread of focus! But, we still got plenty on the main plots :D.

I might come back and edit this but the next episode starts in 5 minutes so! Individuals time :D.

Chim and Maddie! Ate up as always, and I'm glad things are working out with Mara <3. I love them 🥰.

Hen and Karen! Thank goodness they've gotten a lawyer and a hearing soon 😭. Hopefully they can get her back soon <3. Also, Hen (and I'm sure Karen) was amazing at her job of course :). I love them <3.

Buck (and Tommy!)! My loveliesss :D. So glad we got a scene with Tommy 🥰. And I'm glad it showed him and Eddie being friends!! Anyway, poor Buck dealing with Gerrard :((. It sucks for all of them but he doesn't know how to deal with it and is struggling xd. I just hope Gerrard's okay, for Buck's sake o.o. Anyway, I love them <3.

Eddie! Poor Eddieee 😭. Man is going through it xd. Gerrard liking his mustache was crazy though lol, amazing xD. I hope Chris comes home soon, or at least that Helena becomes better <3. I love him <3.

Bobby! The show is crazy. Doing great though! I love him ❤️.

Athena! It's crazy what she as to do, but I'm glad she keeping him safe o.o. I love her <3.

I'LL FINISH LATER! SEE YOU NEXT EPISODE LOL!